Goniodoris castanea

Goniodoris castanea is a species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Goniodorididae.[3]

Plate from A monograph of the British nudibranchiate Mollusca illustrating Goniodoris castanea

Goniodoris castanea
Aranmore, Aran Islands, Co Galway, Ireland.
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropoda
Subclass: Heterobranchia
Order: Nudibranchia
Suborder: Doridina
Superfamily: Onchidoridoidea
Family: Goniodorididae
Genus: Goniodoris
Species:
G. castanea
Binomial name
Goniodoris castanea
Synonyms
  • Doris pareti Vérany, 1846[2]

Distribution

This species was first described from Salcombe Estuary, Devon. It has subsequently been reported widely in Britain and Ireland and from Norway to the Mediterranean Sea.[4][5]

Description

This goniodorid nudibranch is variable in colour, usually red-brown or dark purple but also bright red. Most individuals have scattered irregular small patches of white or grey all over the body.[6]

Its body length is usually 15 mm.[7] The maximum recorded body length is 38 mm.[7]

Ecology

Goniodoris castanea feeds on tunicates of the genera Botryllus and Botrylloides, family Botryllidae.

References
  1. Alder, J. & Hancock, A., 1845. Notice of a new genus and several new species of nudibranchiate Mollusca. Annals & Magazine of Natural History, 16: 311-316.
  2. Vérany G. B., 1846: Catalogo degli animali invertebrati marini del Golfo di Genova e Nizza; Tipografia Ferrando, Genova 1-30
  3. Gofas, S. (2015). Goniodoris castanea Alder & Hancock, 1845. In: MolluscaBase (2015). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species on 2015-10-20
  4. Thompson, T.E. and Brown, G.H., 1984. Biology of Opisthobranch Molluscs, Volume II. The Ray Society. 229 pages 41 plates, 40 figures, p. 125.
  5. Trainito, E. & Doneddu, M., 2014. Nudibranchi del Mediterraneo. 2nd Edition. Il Castello. ISBN 9788865204801, 192 pages.
  6. Picton, B.E. & Morrow, C.C. (2015). Goniodoris castanea Alder & Hancock, 1845. [In] Encyclopedia of Marine Life of Britain and Ireland. Accessed on 2015-10-20
  7. Giannuzzi-Savelli, Riccardo; Chemello, Renato; Cattaneo-Vietti, Riccardo (1991). Atlas of Mediterranean nudibranchs. Atlante dei nudibranchi del Mediterraneo. Roma: Editrice La Conchiglia.
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